Note: this post inspired by the following prompt from
: Write about a high-stakes western-style poker game.“Well, ” the dealer said, “gentlemen-,”
“And lady!” the blonde across the table put in.
“And lady,” the dealer said, with a tolerant sigh, “the game is five card stud, nothing wild. What’s your pleasure?”
The blonde, whose name was Constance, looked down at her card. The one thing she knew for certain was that she had a card, it was red, and it had a little capitalized A on it. Beyond that she was clueless. Angels weren’t omniscient, after all, and she certainly hadn’t been briefed on the specifics of card games, usually considered a most unangelic vice.
She looked over at her stack of chips. There were many, in multiple colors. The man on the dealer’s left glanced at his card and then threw down a blue chip. “I’m in,” he said, without further comment.
The dealer, and everyone else, looked at her. She glanced over the chips; she’d acquired them in exchange for the reserve cash she’d been given at the start of her assignment. Constance picked up a chip colored black and pushed it forward. “Okay, I’m in too.”
The other players whistled. “Dang, girl,” one said.
Constance shrugged modestly, as if she’d known precisely what she’d just done. The man on her left hesitated. “Too rich for me,” he said, and folded.
That left the last man, on the dealer’s right. He smirked. “Let’s dance.”
Another black chip joined the first. The dealer raised his eyebrows. “Well, I might just stay in too.” He threw down a third chip, then dealt out cards to the remaining players.
The other men received cards with numbers on them; Constance had a card with a Q on it and a really fancy picture.
There was another round of gasps and whistles. The man who’d folded swore in various inventive and unique ways that surprised even Constance, who’d heard a few. The dealer winced. The man on his right, however, only kept smiling. “Okay then. Looks like a game.”
Constance wasn’t sure what the fuss was about, but she waited for the next thing to happen. The dealer dealt out the cards to himself, Constance, and the man on his right. She received a second card with a Q. The dealer had another number card, a four apparently. The man on her right also had a number card.
The dealer hesitated. “Well you only live once, boys. And ladies,” he said, tipping his hat towards Constance. “Your hundred, and a hundred more.” He threw down two black chips.
Constance didn’t hesitate. “Same,” she said, and threw down two as well.
The man on her right was still smiling. “Likewise.” He placed two more on the table. “I only hope you will be able to cover if you lose, angel.”
The stress he placed on the last word gave Constance a jolt. She hadn’t turned on her shoulder glow or said anything about her identity. Did he see through her human disguise? Perhaps he had. The other side was getting clever lately. His stare was particularly hard. Did he have a winning card? How was she supposed to know? If she lost, the consequences would be…. well, they wouldn’t be good.
Should she have folded? Could she still fold? Maybe there was still time?
The cards went out for the fourth time. The dealer had a card with a J on it, but he didn’t look happy. She had another Q. The man on her left had a four.
There was a slight awkward moment. “It’s your bet, ma’am,” the dealer said, coughing mildly.
“Oh,” Constance said. “Well, um, I bet this one.”
She threw in a yellow chip because it reminded her of heaven and the light. The crowd gasped. The man on her left stared hard. Finally, he said, “Your… thousand, and another thousand.”
Constance hadn’t known it was that much. Maybe she would get more cards on the next turn, and then she could decide what to do. Then the dealer said, “Well, ma’am, would you care to fold, or call?”
“Oh,” Constance said. “Erm. Well. I…. call.”
Everyone held their breath. Constance tensed. Then the man on her left threw down his hand, which was all numbers of different kinds. “I fold.”
Constance, seeing that she had the only hand left, laid down her cards. “I win then?”
“Three queens and an ace?” the dealer said in awe. “I’ll say you win, ma’am!”
The crowd burst into wild applause. Constance gathered in the chips, then, on second thought tossed them out to the onlookers. “Treat yourselves, fellas. I’m done for today.”
As even more thunderous cheers broke out, she looked for her opponent, but he had mysteriously vanished. Constance smiled in satisfaction. “Chalk another one up for the good guys,” she told the dealer as she rose from her seat and headed towards the door.
“What?” the man said, unable to hear over the hilarity and celebrations breaking out around him.
“Never mind!” Constance shouted. “Bye now!” She walked out the bar doors, pocketed one single yellow chip, and then flew happily away towards the stars.
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